Spaghetti. Room temperature for a day. Safe to eat?

[Armstead]

Silly question but I went to a restaurant last nite, had some left over spaghetti but then forgoit to put it in the fridge.

Is it safe if I cook it real good?

[trof]

1. Sauce?

[Armstead]

4. meat sauce

[trof]

6. Nuke the hell out of it and you probably won't die.

However...Miz t., the left-out-food Nazi would disagree.

"Why take a chance?"
I have no argument for that.

[Armstead]

7. Probably better safe than soirry...,But it was such gooood spaghetti and $15 for the plate

[trof]

9. Ferk it. Go for it!

Bon appetite.

[Chan790]

29. It's fine.

The reason plain tomato sauce is called marinara is because Neopolitan sailors used to carry it on long voyages because reduced tomatoes are so acidic that they act as a room temperature preservative and are spoil-resistant. The only reason most commercial pasta sauces go bad is because manufacturers add sugar and dilute with water to cut the acidity and lower cost.

That spaghetti could have sat on the counter for 4 days and other than the texture of the pasta going to shit, would have been fine to eat.

[Paka]

32. Unless you live in the tropics...

...with temperatures over 100, as a microbiologist I will venture to say it is just fine.

[valerief]

2. I wouldn't, but I'm always pretty cautious about stuff like that. nt

[Lochloosa]

3. get it above 180 degrees and pass me a plate.

[Armstead]

5. I have a microwave, and I'm blasting it.

Don;t know the temp though.,

Sure pass yur plate if you're brave.

[trof]

8. Funny you should bring this up.

When Miz t. won't be here for lunch and I'm on my own, I get 'The Briefing'.

"Don't eat the X, Y, or Z. They've been in the fridge for over 4 days."
"But I love the X. Are you sure?"
"Why take a chance?"
"Oh, OK. Why didn't you dump it?"
"I hate to stink up the garbage can until the day they collect. I keep it in the fridge until that morning."
"Oh, OK."

I made a ham sandwich.
Ham never goes 'bad'.

[Armstead]

10. One day we were having a family gathering at my mothers...

My brother decided to go throgh the fridge. My mother had open bottles of salad dressing with expiration dates of 7 or 8 years earlier.

Somehow we survived those meals at home in blissful ignorance. But...

[trof]

13. Much of that dating is 'CYA'. Tabasco:

Some years ago the Tabasco label stated "Refrigerate after opening."
It's pepper slurry, vinegar, and salt.
What could possibly go 'off'?
Nothing.

That caution is no longer on the label.

[jmowreader]

11. Ah HELL no!

Pathogenic bacteria produce toxins you CAN'T cook out of the food.

[Armstead]

12. I guess I'll go with that one then

[trof]

14. Wuss

[Armstead]

15. Well, better wussy than a 3 am trip to the emergency room I guess

[trof]

16. Miz t. would approve. "Why take a chance?"

BTW, she said if it's a tomato meat sauce it's probably OK.
Tomatoes are acidic.

[Armstead]

18. Stop it. Now it's probably okay? I'm going to stick with being a wuss.... but it smells so good

[jmowreader]

31. If you throw it away this time, you won't leave it out next time

Consider it a pricey object lesson.

[TexasBushwhacker]

30. Thank you!

The smell test doesn't work either. The bacteria that cause spoilage are different from the ones that will make you sick.

[restorefreedom]

17. with meat sauce i would skip it

too many hours for bacteriapalooza imo

[Armstead]

19. Times like this I wish I was a vegeterian

[trof]

20. So, what's the alternative menu?

[Armstead]

22. A trip to the convenience store...Maybe a can of Chef Boyardi

A poor substitute I know, but I'm in the mood.

There's no Mrs. Armstead, so I have to fend for myself on these matters.

[trof]

25. Chef Boyardi. Oh boy.

My granny's Eyetalian dinner, circa 1950.
Birmingham, Alabama

A can of Chef BoyarDEE spaghetti in tomato sauce, heated in a pot on the stove.
A wedge of iceberg lettuce with a flagon of vinegar and (stale?) olive oil on the dining table. Roll your own.

Granny was much better at traditional southern dishes like fried chicken and ham with hominy.
Not grits.
Hominy.

[pinboy3niner]

26. So it's either food poisoning or Chef Boyardee? Tough call!

I think I'd go with food poisoning.

[restorefreedom]

21. times like that make me happy i am :)

but i know lots of people who have taken food safety courses

[AngryAmish]

23. Nope.

[pinboy3niner]

24. It's pasta its prime

[Laffy Kat]

27. Remember the WORST stomach flu you ever had?

Double that and you have what food poisoning feels like. It can kill you. You're going to take a chance? I've had salmonella. NEVER. AGAIN. Two days in the hospital, dry heaves, fever up to 104.5. No thank you.

[Armstead]

28. To end the suspense...I fed the spaghetti to my cat

No I didn't.

But I went to the convenience store, got a sandwich (which has probably also been sitting at room temperature all day).

Spaghetti is a victim of my flakiness.